Manufacture of staple fiber yarn



March 11, 1941. 1. s. FRYER 2,234,540

MANUFACTURE OF STAPLE FIBER YARN I med May 25, 1937' 4 She ets-Sheet 1 Laws 5. Faves March 11, 1941. s, FRYER 2,234,540

MANUFACiURE 0F ST APLE FIBER YARN Filed llay 25, 193'! 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snventor I Lows 5..Fn v23 Frczh I (Ittorneg Mind! 11, 941. L s. FRYER 2. 45

7 mmumcruns on sums FIBER mm Filed May 25, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.1O

Zinnentor laws 6; Fnvsn (Ittorneg March 11, 1941. 5, FRYER 2,234,540

mmmcrunz or suns FIBER YARN Filed May 25., 19:57 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3maentor laws 5. Faves FIG. 13 BE M Cittorheg Patented Mar. 1 1, 1941.,

HPATENTE orrlcr.

MANUFACTURE or STAPLE FIBER YARN Louis s. Fryer, Cleveland, Ohio, asslgnor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, corporation of Delaware Cleveland, Ohio, a

Application May 25, 1937, Serial No. 144,602

5 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of manufacturing staple fiber yarn of synthetic origin;

More particularly, it relates to a process for spinning a. multiple filament synthetic thread, severing the filaments into fibers before collection of the thread in package form, and, ultimately if not immediately, twisting into an integrated product the severed filaments going to make up the thread. Among other things, the invention contemplates the breaking of the individual filaments into fibres before coagulation is complete, as by stretching the thread soon after spinning beyond the breaking point of the individual filaments, preferably by means of a plurality of rotatable helix-forming devices each of which stores the thread thereon in a traveling spiral characterized by a relatively large number of turns, whereby a firm grip n the thread is provided, and one of which rotates at a peripheral speed sufficiently greater than that of the preceding device to cause the filaments to stretch and break as they pass between them. In certain instances, the invention contemplates the immediate twisting of the thread followed by the usual washing, desulphurizing, bleaching, and drying steps; in others, the performance of analogous steps before the twisting operation.

When synthetically produced filaments are thus stretched beyond their breaking points, preferably before the coagulation of such filaments is complete, it is possible to spin the individual filaments going to make up the thread as a whole through much larger openings in the spinnerets and attenuates the thread to the desired smaller denier in and as a part of the stretching operation. The breaking operation, moreover, by bringing to the surface uncoagulated material from the core of the filament, tends to impart a roughened character to the fibers. The thread may be twisted either before or after processing, depending on the type of spinning apparatus employed.

The apparatus used in practicing the invention may'closely resemble the type of equipment employed in manufacturing the conesponding kind of multiple filament synthetic thread, whether from viscose, casein, cuprammonium cellulose solution, cellulose acetate, or the like. In general, it will differ therefrom by embodying drafting means taking the form of a pair of helix-forming devices on each of which the thread is stored in a traveling spiral characterized by a relatively large number of turns, whereby a firm grip on the thread is assured. Differences in peripheral speeds of the respective devices efl'ects stretching and breaking of thefilaments to form fibers of staple length, without, however, destroying the parallelism of the filaments or the identity of the thread. After the breaking step, the threadis collected in the usual way eitherwith or without a twisting operation.

For convenience, but not in any sense of limitation, the invention .will be described hereinafter as applied to the manufacture by the viscose process of staple fiber yarn.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating several arrangements contemplated by the invention, Figure 1 is an elevation, parts being broken away, of a portion of a. pot-spinning machine embodying one form of the-invention.

Figure 2 isa section on the line 2-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of the device of Figure 1, parts being broken'away. Figure-4is a section on an'enlarged scale on line 4-4 of Figure 1.- Figure 5 is an elevation, parts being broken away, of a portion of a pot-spinning machine embodying a second form of the invention. Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of. Figure 5. Figure 7 is a section on line l-'l of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the breaking apparatus of Figure 6, parts being broken away. Figure 9 is a front elevation embodying a different form of the invention. Figure 12 is a section on line l2-l2 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a section onv line I3l3 of Figure 12. Figure 14 is a side elevation of I the gearing appearinginFigure12. '1

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the threads I, the individual filaments of which are to be broken into fibers of staple length, are formed by extrusion of viscose from spinnerets 2 submerged in coagulating bath 3. The spinnerets 2 are mounted, as shown, upon individual .mass tubes 5, each of which is provided with its own pressure pump 6. ploying the invention, a large number of threads will be formed by spinnerets 2 located at regular intervals along a common trough 4 containing the coagulating bath 3.

From the coagulatingbath 3 the thread is drawn upward through a guide eye 8 by a positively driven drum 9. Located adjacent drum 9 is a transfer roller II. the axis of which is inclined to the axis of drum 9. Due to the inthe difference in speeds required to clinationof the axes of drum I and roller II, thethread I will,uponrotation ofdrumI, be advanced axially thereof. Drum I is secured to a shaft II driven from line shaft II through pair of bevel gears II. Roller II is mounted upon a bolt II which serves as a shaft. being rotated thereon by the thread passing over drum I, but if desired may be positively driven from line shaft II. Line shaft II drives all of the various drums I.

Located 'a short distance fromdrum I is a second drum. II to which the thread I passes from drum I. The thread is caused to advance axially of drum II by a transfer roller II similar to transfer roller II. As inthe case of drum I, the thread is caused to advance over drum II in a relatively large number of closely spaced generally helical turns. Drum II is driven from line shaft II through a pair of bevel gears II.

The ratio of bevel gears I1 is so'related to the ratio'of bevel gears II that drum II is rotated at a considerably greater peripheral speed than drum I. I

Due to the more rapid rotation of drum II, the individual filaments going to make up the thread I will be broken in passing between drums I and II. slipp ge of the thread on drums I and II is prevented by the large number of turns of thread on each of the drums. The necessary difference in the speed of rotation of drums I and I! required to stretch the filaments beyond their breaking points and cause them to break is dependent upon a number'of factors, including the size of the individual filaments, one number of filaments in the thread, the composition of the filaments, and theextent of coagulation thereof. In practice, it is readily possible to determine stretch the filaments beyond their breaking poin 1 Because the filaments break more or less at random; i. e., at-various points between drums I and II. the resultingfibers overlap in the,

thread. This overlap is of importance in that it makes it possible to keep the filaments parallel and to maintain the integrity of the thread. The average length of the fibers into which the individual filaments are broken is determined by the distance between drums I and II. By varying this distance, the average length of the resulting fibers may be modified; for example, if it is desired to obtain fibers of shorter average length, the distance between drums I and II should be reduced;

Drums I and II,'together with their respective transfer rollers II and", thus serve primarily as drafting means for stretching the thread I beyond the breaking points of the individual filaments while the thread is still wet with coagulant. In addition, drum I operates to withdraw the thread from bath I at a predetermined rate which may, if desired, be greater than the speed of extrusion of viscose from spinneret 2. Drum I5 serves to supply at a constant speed thread made up of filaments severed'into fibers of the desired length. From drum I I the thread proceeds to whateverthread handling device it may be desired to deliver it. Because of the nature of the thread, it is advantageous to collect it in spinning pot II.

Pot II may be driven by] any desired means such as electric motor II, of which there is one for each spinning pot. To distribute the thread in pot II, it is passed in the conventional manner through a funnel and tube II which is moved in an up-and-down direction by means of possible to pass the thread to drum Since thethread is delivered at a constant speed by drum II, the thread will be given a uniform twist as it is collected in pot II. The thread so collected may be subjected in any convenient manner to the usual processing treatments such as desulphurlzing, bleaching,

finishing, drying. etc. For example, the thread may, as in ordinary practice, be subjected while in cake form to the desired processing media or it may be unwound from the cake and subjectedin thread form to treatment on one or more continuous processing reels. After completion of the processing operations, the product comprises a twisted, completely processed staple fiber yarn.

To place the machine as a whole in operation, the thread end is drawn from coagulating bath I and is given the necessary number of turns around drum I and transfer roller II, after which the thread running from coagulating bath I to drum I is located in guide eye I. -By leading the thread away from drum I after it has been wound in a series of turns extending approximately half the length of the drum, it is II, giving it the necessarynumber of turns about drum II and roller II. In this manner, the thread advances first along the rear half of drum I and then along the front half of drum I I, so that the direction of advance of the thread is always toward the front of the machine. From the free end of drum' II the thread is caused to discharge into spinning pot II.

In the embodiment of the invention appearing in Figures 5 to 10. inclusive, the thread is formed in the same manner as in the apparatus of Figures "lto 4, inclusive. A godet wheel II draw the thread fromthe coagulating bath as.

in known practice. This godet wheel, together with corresponding godet wheels provided for the other threads-extruded into the same coagulating bath, maybe driven by suitable means from line shaft 24. wheel'II by means of guide eye II. From godet wheel II, the thread passes to a thread-storage, thread-advancing reel II. After having passed along a portion of the length of reel II, the thread is passed to an adjacent thread-storage, thread-advancing reel II.

The construction and manner of operation of reels "and I! is similar, wherefore an explanation of reel I1 will sufflce for both.

As illustrated inFigures 8 and 9, reel 21 comprises two sets of interdigitating bar members II and II. Bar members II are carried upon the periphery of a cylindrical body II secured to shaft II by means of pin II and retaining nut -II. Shaft II is rotatably'mounted in a bearing I4 carried by an upright plate II. Bar members II are supported at the front end by a reinforcing ring II and at the rear end by a reinforcing ring 31 which is secured to an annular member II which carries within a center- The thread is guided onto godet askew tothe axis of shaft 3!.

be automatically advanced axially of the reel in a large number of closely spaced, generally helical turns. Because of the unitary character of the device, the reel is in eifect self-threading.

The shaft of reel 26 is driven througliegears 42 from a line shaft 43 extending longitudinally of the machine. Line shaft 43 is gearedto the "corresponding shafts of all of the thread-storage,

thread-advancing reels'26. Shaft 3| of reel 21 is driven from the shaft of reel 26 through idler gear 44. Idler 44 is driven by a large spur gear 46 secured to the shaft of reel 26 and idler ,44 in turn drives a small spur gear 46 fixed to shaft '3l. Due to the differences in size of spur gears 46 and 46, reel 21 has a speed of rotation greater than that of reel 26.

As in the case of drums 6 and I6 of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the filaments of the thread passing between reels 26 and 21 are broken by the tension imposed by the greater speed of rotation of reel 21. As in the construction previously described, it is desirable that reels 26 and 21 be rotated in such direction that the thread will be advanced from their supported ends toward. their free ends. In order to facilitate operation of themachiiie it ispreferable that the thread be advanced over the inner half of reel 26 and then over the outer half of reel 21, in which case sufilcient turns will be present on both reels to prevent slippage and to assure breakage of the filaments. After leaving reel 21, the thread may be collected in a spinning pct 46.

Since the thread, before reaching reel 26, must first pass around godet wheel 23, the coagulation of the filaments of the thread will, in the device of Figures 5 to 10, inclusive, have proceeded more nearly to completion than would be expected with the arrangement illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive. By increasing the number of turns of thread on godet wheel 23, by increasing the distance between the godet wheel and reel 26, or by increasing the number of turns on reel 21, the degree of coagulation of the thread at the time breakage occurs may be increased. As will be more fully explained hereinafter, the character! of the product will be correspondingly changed.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 11 to 14, inclusive, illustrates the application of the invention to a conventional spool-spinning machine. The thread 46 is extruded as before from the spinneret into the coagulating bath, but is collected upon a rotating spool 66. The thread is laid upon spool 66 in a reversing spiral manner by means of the reciprocating traverse arm 6|. Interposed between the spinneret and the spool 66 are drums 62 and 63, which are provided with transfer rollers 64 and 66. Drum: 62 and 63, together with their associated transfer rollers 64 and 66, correspond in arrangement and function to drums 9 and i6 and their associated'transfer .63. may be rotated at the required higher peripheral speed than drum 62 and thus'eflect breakage of the filaments of the thread between drums 62 and 63. To rotate shaft 66, it is geared to a line shaft 6| which extends longitudinally of the machine. All drums 63 are driven from. line shaft 6|. I I

To lead the thread 46 upon drum 62 at the proper point, it is caused to pass through guide eye 62. As in the case of drums 6 and 16 of the device of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, it is desirable that the thread 46 be wound over the rear half of drum 62 and over the forward half of drum 63, since this facilitates operation of the apparatus. After leaving drum 63, the thread 49 passes on its way to spool 60 through a guide eye 63 which prevents movement .of the thread imparted by traverse arm 6| from extending back to drum 63. If it has not already done so, coagulation proceeds to completion on spool 66.

As in the case of the like products produced by the devices of Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, and Figures 5 to 10, inclusive, the fibers into which the individual filaments of thread 49 are broken between drums 62 and 63 overlap and remain more or less together; consequently, the identity of the thread as a whole is not impaired. The package of thread accumulated upon spool 60 may, upon removal from the machine, receive the usual processing operations while remaining upon the spool; but if desired the threadmay be withdrawn therefrom and subjected to processing in thread form, preferably upon one or more continuous processing reels. After completion of desulphuring, bleaching, drying and other processing operations, the thread is twisted to assure the retention of the broken filaments in thread form. Thus the final product comprises a twisted, completely processed staplefiber yarn.

In addition to being employedas disclosed in connection with potand spool-spinning machines, the invention may, if desired, also be incorporated in continuous spinning apparatus.

In each of these embodiments of the invention, the helix-forming devices may be disposed suiiiciently close to the spinneret so that the filaments are broken when but incomplete coagulation thereof has occurred, in consequence whereof uncoagulated spinning material extrudes from 'the thread at the points of rupture. Depending upon the amount of uncoagulated material so extruded, coalescence into a more or less unitary product occurs: but if coagulation has processed to a suiiicient extent, there is produced only a thread the individual filaments of which have been reduced to fibers of staple length. In either case, breakage of the thread while still in an incompletely coagulated' state tends to impart to the product maximum tensile strength, low potential elongation, and the crinkled appearance characterizing staple fiber cut in a plastic condition. 7

The preferred location of the helix-for devices with respect to the coagulating bath may readily be determined by experiment. If,

the distance being short, little coagulation of the thread occurs, the individual fibers tend, by coalescing in the manner above described,

to lose their separate identities, thus giving rise to the novel product above described. On the other hand, if coagulation has proceeded too far before the thread is severed, the characteristic roughness distinguishing the staple fiber yarn of the present invention from ordinary staple fiber yarn will not be obtained. Within these trated. If desired, the drums or reels, as the case may be, need be only as long as the portions thereof over which thread is to be advanced, in which case it will be desirable to lead the thread from the discharge end of the one drum or reelto the receiving end of the other drum or reel. Other modifications, substitutions and changes may be made as desired.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features or patentable novelty reside in the invention. 1

What is claimed is:

1. A process of making staple fiber yarn comprising the steps of extruding a spinning solution into a coagulating medium to form a multiple filament thread; storing the thread on each of at least two rotating helix-forming devices in a traveling spiral characterized by a relatively large number of closely spaced, generally helical turns; and breaking the filaments of which the thread is composed by stretching them beyond their individual breaking points before completion of the coagulation of the filaments while the thread is passing from one of said helix-forming devices to a succeeding helixforming device rotating at a higher peripheral speed, the step of breaking the filaments being performed without destroying the identity of the thread as a whole.

2. A process of making staple fiber yarn comprising'the steps of extruding a spinning'solution into a coagulating medium to form a multiple filament thread; storing the thread on each of at least two rotating helix-forming devices in a traveling spiral. characterized by a g at a higher peripheral relatively large number of closely spaced, generally helical turns; breaking the filaments of which the thread is composed by stretching them beyond their individual breaking points before completion of the coagulation 'of the filaments 5 while the thread is passing from one of said helix-forming devices to a succeeding helixforming device rotating at a higher peripheral speedb the step of breaking the filaments being performed without. destroying the identity --of 10 the thread as a whole; and'simultaneously twisting and collecting the thread.

3. A process of jmaking staple fiber yarn by the pot spinning system comprising the steps of extruding a spinning solution into a coagulatl6 ing medium to form a multiple filament thread; storing the thread on each of at least .two rotating helix-forming devices in a traveling .spiral' characterized by a relatively large number of closely spaced, generally helical turns; breaking 20 the filaments of which the thread is composed by stretching them beyond their, individual breaking points before completion of the coagulation of the" filaments while the thread is passing from one of said helix-f0 ng devices 25 to a succeeding helix-forming device rotating speed, the step of breaking the filaments being performed without destroying the identity of the thread as a whole;

and collecting the thread in a spinning pot. so

4. A process of making staple flber yarn by 1 the bobbin spinning system comprising the'steps' of extruding a spinning solution into a coagulating medium to form a multiple .filament thread; storing the thread on each of at least 35 two rotating. helix-forming devices in a traveling spiral characterized by a relatively large number of closely-spaced, generally helical turns; breaking the filaments of which the thread is composed by stretching them beyond their ino dividual breaking points before completion of the coagulation of the filaments while the thread is passing from one of said helix-forming devices to. asucceeding helix-forming device rotatingat a higherv peripheral speed, the step of breaking the filaments being performedwithout destroying the identity of the thread as a whole; and collecting the thread in package form on a bobbin.

5. A process as in'claim l in which thread-advancing reels are used as the helix-forming devices.

LOUIS S. FRYER.

Patent 110-. '2, 23l;, 5h o. March 11, 19l 1.

LOUIS s. man.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification cEhTIrIcATE or coanacrgonl of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, f1rst column, line 514., for 'one" read "thepage 5,-first column, line 25, for the word differences read -difference-; vsame page, second column,-

line 61,-,for -"processed" read -proceeded--; page )4, first column, line 29, for "or" read --of--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same nay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of May, A. 1). 191a.

Henry Van Arsdale, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

